Varðskipið Óðinn er hluti af Sjóminjasafninu og um leið ein helsta sýning safnsins. Skipið kom til safnsins árið 2008 og er varðveitt í því ástandi sem það kom. Boðið er upp á leiðsagnir á hverjum degi fyrir utan köldustu vetrarmánuðina auk þess sem skipið er opið gestum á hátíðisdögum sem er þá sérstaklega auglýst. 

Í leiðsögn er gengið um skipið, sagt frá sögu þess, lífinu um borð og því hlutverki sem að það gegndi hjá Landhelgisgæslu Íslands. Hver leiðsögn tekur tæplega klukkustund.

Til þess að tryggja öryggi um borð skal hafa í huga:

Lágt getur verið til lofts og hvassar brúnir og horn sem hægt er að reka sig í. Stigar eru brattir. Skipið hentar ekki fólki sem fær innilokunarkennd eða hefur skerta hreyfigetu. Börn yngri en 12 ára skulu ætíð vera í fylgd með fullorðnum.

Börn eru á ábyrgð forráðamanna.

The Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn is a part of the Reykjavík Maritime Museum. It is, as such, one of the Maritime Museum's primary exhibitions. It is preserved in the condition in which it arrived at the museum in 2008.

We offer daily guided tours on board the vessel except during the coldest winter months. It is also open to the public on national holidays, which we announce especially.

A guided tour includes walking around the vessel and hearing about the history on board and its role under the Icelandic Coast Guard. Each guided tour takes a little less than an hour.

To ensure safety on board, you should keep the following in mind:

The ceiling can be low, and please beware of sharp edges. The stairs are steep. The ship is not suited for people with claustrophobia or with reduced mobility.

Welcome aboard the historic Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn for a guided tour. The tours happen daily at 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00 from 1 March to 31 October, focusing on the Cod Wars and the vessel's rescue history.

Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn - Guided Tour on Board

Verið velkomin í leiðsögn um borð í hinu sögufræga Varðskipi Óðni. Leiðsagnirnar fara fram á hverjum degi kl. 13, 14 og 15 frá 1. mars til 31. október. Í leiðsögninni eru þorskastríðin og björgunarsaga skipsins eru í brennidepli.

Varðskipið Óðinn - Leiðsögn um borð

Fræðsla

Leiðsögn

Sýning

Árbæjarsafn er útisafn sem var stofnað árið 1957 en auk Árbæjar eru þar yfir tuttugu hús, sem mynda torg, þorp og sveit. Í Árbæjarsafni er leitast við að gefa hugmynd um byggingalist og lifnaðarhætti í Reykjavík á 19. og 20. öld. Hvert og eitt hús geymir annaðhvort sjálfstæða sögusýningu eða þá að þar er sýnt dæmigert heimili frá ákveðnu tímabili. Á safninu má einnig sjá gamaldags verkstæði ýmiskonar þar sem sjá má dæmigerða aðstöðu, tækni og tól.

Árbær was an established farm well into the 20th century, and the museum opened there in 1957. Árbær is now an open-air museum with more than 20 buildings which form a town square, a village and a farm. Most of the buildings have been relocated from central Reykjavik. The Museum seeks to give an idea of Reykjavik's architecture and way of life in the 19th and 20th centuries. Each house contains an independent historical exhibition or a typical home from a specific period. The museum also houses old-fashioned workshops on typical facilities, technology, and tools.

The guide takes guests to all the main houses of the museum and tells their stories. The guided tour is in English and takes just over an hour.

Guided tour at Árbær Open Air Museum

Leiðsögumaður fer með gesti í öll helstu hús Árbæjarsafns og segir frá sögu þeirra. Leiðsögnin fer að mestu fram á ensku og tekur rúma klukkastund.

Leiðsögn á Árbæjarsafni

DAGSKRÁ

Stjórnandi: Andri Snær Magnason, rithöfundur

Jöklarannsóknir á Íslandi í víðara samhengi (10 mín.)
Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir, prófessor í jarðeðlisfræði, Háskóla Íslands.
Háskóli Íslands og Veðurstofan taka þátt í evrópska verkefninu ICELINK 2025-2029. Fjöldi rannsóknaverkefna á Íslandi verða gerð á tímabilinu í samvinnu við 9 aðrar stofnanir.

Jökulhlaup á Íslandi – framgangshraði, stærð og áhrif (10 mín.)
Bergur Einarsson, vatna- og jöklafræðingur
Um jökulhlaup frá Mýrdalsjökli: hvað við vitum um tíðni og umfang þeirra.

Öryggi á jöklum – sprungukort og leiðbeiningar (10 mín.)
Einar Daníelsson, verkefnastjóri slysavarna, Slysavarnarfélagið Landsbjörg.
Kynning á sprungukorti og vefnum Safetravel sem nýtast til að tryggja öruggar jöklaferðir.

Jöklaferðir í breyttu loftslagi (10 mín.)
Dagbjartur Brynjarsson, sérfræðingur í öryggismálum, Ferðamálastofa.
Rýrnun jökla og aukin áhætta í ferðaþjónustu – hvaða áskoranir og aðlögun bíða okkar?

Sýndarveruleiki og jöklar – Into the Blue (10 mín.)
Ásta Olga Magnúsdóttir, vísindamiðlari.
Sýndarveruleiki sem fræðslutæki og nýjar leiðir til að upplifa breytingar jökla.

Ljósmyndasýningin Sofandi risar (10 mín.)
Kristján Maack, ljósmyndari.
Ljósmyndir af jöklum á norðurhveli jarðar sem sýna þá sem loftvogir hlýnunar og minna á að loftslagsbreytingar taka sér enga hvíld.

Pallborð og spurningar úr sal
Stutt samtal við fyrirlesara undir stjórn Andra Snæs Magnasonar og opið fyrir spurningar gesta.

Viðburðinum lýkur kl. 15.30. 

Aðgengi er gott á Ljósmyndasafninu og leiðsöguhundar eru velkomnir í safnið.

PROGRAM

Moderator: Andri Snær Magnason, author

Glacier Research in Iceland in a Broader Context (10 min.)
Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir, Professor of Geophysics, University of Iceland
The University of Iceland and the Icelandic Meteorological Office are participating in the European project ICELINK 2025–2029. A number of research projects will be carried out in Iceland during this period in cooperation with nine other institutions.

Glacial Outburst Floods in Iceland – Speed, Magnitude, and Impacts (10 min.)
Bergur Einarsson, hydrologist and glaciologist
On glacial outburst floods from Mýrdalsjökull: what we know about their frequency and scale.

Safety on Glaciers – Crevasse Maps and Guidelines (10 min.)
Einar Daníelsson, safety project manager, ICE-SAR
Presentation of the crevasse map and the Safetravel website, which help ensure safe glacier travel.

Glacier Travel in a Changing Climate (10 min.)
Dagbjartur Brynjarsson, safety specialist, Icelandic Tourist Board
Glacier retreat and increased risk in tourism – what challenges and adaptations lie ahead?

Virtual Reality and Glaciers – Into the Blue (10 min.)
Ásta Olga Magnúsdóttir, science communicator
Virtual reality as an educational tool and new ways to experience glacier changes.

The Photo Exhibition “Sleeping Giants” (10 min.)
Kristján Maack, photographer
Photographs of glaciers in the northern hemisphere showing them as barometers of warming and reminding us that climate change never rests.

Panel Discussion and Questions from the Audience
A short conversation with the speakers, moderated by Andri Snær Magnason, followed by an open Q&A with guests.

The event concludes at 15:30.

The Museum of Photography has good accessibility, and guide dogs are welcome in the museum.

In honor of the World Day for Glaciers, the Reykjavík Museum of Photography is hosting a short symposium in collaboration with the Icelandic Glaciological Society on 21 March at 14:00. Free admission and everyone welcome!
Spoken language Icelandic.

Symposium - UN World Day for Glaciers

Í tilefni af alþjóðlegum degi jökla, efnir Ljósmyndasafn Reykjavíkur til örmálþings í samstarfi við Jöklarannsóknafélag Íslands þann 21. mars kl. 14. Frítt inn og öll velkomin!

Málþing - Hverfandi landslag: Jöklar, öryggi og sjónræn arfleifð

Málþing

Fyrirlestur

Aðgengi: Safnið er á tveimur hæðum og aðgengi er gott, sérstaklega við inngang Grandagarðsmegin. Lyfta er á milli hæða. Hjálparhundar eru velkomnir.

Dostępność: Muzeum zajmuje dwa piętra, a jego dostępność jest dobra, zwłaszcza przy wejściu od strony Grandagarð. Między piętrami znajduje się winda. Psy przewodniki są mile widziane.

Muzeum miejskie zaprasza na rodzinne oprowadzanie w niedzielę 22 marca w godzinach  14:00-15:00 w Muzeum Morskim (Sjóminjasafn) w Reykjaviku. Przewodnikiem będzie Marta Wieczorek, wicedyrektor Szkoły Polskiej w Reykjaviku im. J. Korczaka i Reykjaviczanka roku 2024.

Zwiedzanie koncentruje się na wystawie „Ryby i ludzie – 150 lat rybołówstwa” i ma charakter zarówno edukacyjny, jak i rozrywkowy i jest skierowane do wszystkich grup wiekowych. 
Oprowadzanie jest bezpłatne, zapraszamy serdecznie wszystkie osoby polskojęzyczne.

Oprowadzanie po polsku

Borgarsögusafn býður upp á leiðsögn á pólsku sunnudaginn 22. mars, kl. 14:00-15:00 í Sjóminjasafninu í Reykjavík. Marta Wieczorek, Reykvíkingur ársins og aðstoðarskólastjóri Pólska skólans í Reykjavík, sér um leiðsögnina.

Leiðsögnin fjallar um sýningu safnsins Fiskur & fólk - sjósókn í 150 ár og er bæði fræðandi og skemmtileg fyrir alla aldurshópa. 
Leiðsögnin er ókeypis og öll þau sem tala pólsku eru boðin hjartanlega velkomin.

Leiðsögn á pólsku

Fjölmenning

Undanfarna mánuði hafa íbúar Reykjavíkur saumað búta eftir eigin hönnun á vinnustofum í bókasöfnum víðsvegar um borgina úr endurnýttum rúmteppum. Á meðan við saumum saman búta af efni, spinnum við einnig samtöl og sögur um nærliggjandi hverfi okkar. Hvernig líður okkur? Hvaða breytingar viljum við sjá í umhverfi okkar?

Þessi þriggja daga viðburður er hannaður í anda hefðbundinna „quilting bee“ samkoma, þar sem margir koma saman til að vinna að handverksverkefni hratt í félagslegu umhverfi. Þann 10.-12. apríl verða bútarnir saumaðir saman í stórt teppi sem verður sýnt á Sumardeginum fyrsta, 23. apríl, á Árbæjarsafni. Almenningur er velkominn að koma og fræðast um bútasaumsaðferðina og hitta fólk sem hefur lagt sitt af mörkum — einn saum í einu. Boðið verður upp á kaffi, te og kökur.

Verkefnið er styrkt af Þróunarsjóði innflytjendamála.

Over the past few months, Reykjavik residents have been sewing quilt blocks of their own design at local library workshops across the city. They were made with recycled bed covers. As we stitch pieces of cloth, we also piece together conversations and stories about our own neighborhoods. How do we feel? What would we like to see change around us?

This 3-day event is designed in the style of a traditional quilting bee, where many people come together to complete craft work quickly in a social manner. Here, the blocks will be sewn together to create a large quilt-top to be exhibited at the Árbær Open Air Museum First Day of Summer celebration on April 23. The public is invited to come learn about the quilt-making process and meet the people that have contributed, one stitched connection at a time. Coffee, tea and cake will be served. 

The project received a grant from the Development Fund for Immigrant Affairs.

We invite you to join local artist Christalena Hughmanick and Íslenska Bútasaumsfélagið (The Icelandic Quilting Society) at the Reykjavík Maritime Museum as they publicly construct a collective community quilt on 10-12 April at 10:00-17:00.

Let's sew Iceland together

Verið velkomin á Sjóminjasafnið í Reykjavík dagana 10.-12. apríl kl. 10-17. Þar býðst að taka þátt í að sauma saman samfélagslegt bútasaumsteppi með listakonunni Christalena Hughmanick og Íslenska bútasaumsfélaginu.

Saumum saman Ísland

Smiðja

Horse and a Mountain. Photo: Þorkell Sigvaldason

Reykjavík Museum of Photography

Landscape I Skotið in Fókus 2026

Kristján Maack│Sleeping Giants 

Reykjavík Maritime Museum

A View of the North

Árbær Open Air Museum

Growing Pains

Ancient Roots of Árbær in the museum building Landakot/ÍR House

Ancient Roots of Árbær

Fish & folk – 150 years of fisheries

Viðey Island

Milestones│Richard Serra

The Imagine Peace Tower

Suðurgata 7 │A Reykjavík home around 1925

Inside the exhibition "Hábær House 1950"

Hábær House 1950

Aðalstræti

Lækjargata 4 at Árbær Open Air Museum.

He came to Iceland in 1847 to work on the repair and expansion of Reykjavík Cathedral. [Lækjargata 4](https://borgarvefsja.reykjavik.is/borgarvefsja/?x=357070.62052324106&y=408214.2749132164&z=6&gId=1618485062798) was the first two-storey house in Reykjavík. The Bishop of Iceland, Helgi Thordarsen, bought the house in 1856 and relocated the episcopal seat there from Laugarnes. He lived there until his death in 1867. The half-timbered house was initially smaller, but around 1870, two single-storey sheds were constructed by each gable end. They were then demolished between 1884-1890, and the house extended at both ends to obtain its more modern appearance. Serving primarily as a commercial centre, Þorlákur Ó. Johnson worked there for some time: his wife Ingibjörg Johnson was the second woman in Reykjavík to run a retail business. The house was moved to the Árbær Open Air Museum in 1988. Unfortunately, part of the house collapsed during the move and had to be rebuilt on the museum grounds. Today the building houses exhibitions, function rooms, and the museum's general store. 

Reykjavík before 1907. Lækjargata 4 can be seen to the left inthe picture. Photo: Magnús Ólafsson (1862-1937).

Café Hermes was opened in Lækjargata 4 in 1886 and became a favourite meeting place for the town's teetotallers. The Icelandic National Day, 17 June, was first celebrated here in 1886, although it didn't become the actual National Day until 1944. The Reykjavík Union of Store and Office Workers was founded here in 1891, and the seamen's union, Báran, in 1894. The temperance lodge Einingin had been established in the house in 1885. Among other historical events that took place here was the founding of Ó. Johnson and Kaaber in 1906, the first wholesale enterprise in Iceland.

Among the well-known people who lived in the house in the 19th century was the Icelandic poet Benedikt Gröndal, who described his years there later in his memoirs, Dægradvöl. In 1884, the shed on the south end of Lækjargata 4 was torn down and a two-storey addition constructed in its place. In 1890, this process was repeated on the north side. These new additions were set at the same height as the house, which restored the building's original unified appearance. The facade was again symmetrical, with the main entrance located in the middle. During the 20th century, significant changes were made to the lower floor of the house. The windows were enlarged, and interior walls were removed. The upper floor, however, remained mostly unchanged.

Lækjargata 4 in 1964 at its original place. Photo: Skarphéðinn Haraldsson.

The Museum's general store is a fun store situated in the Lækjargata house.

The Museum's general store was originally set up in 1990 in the museum building at Þingholtsstræti 9, where museum visitors could buy various small goods such as candy, postcards, and coffee.”

From the very beginning, it was conceived as an exhibition on commercial practices in Reykjavík in the 19th century. The setup of the exhibition was handled by Aðalbjörg Ólafsdóttir and Hafdís Halldórsdóttir. Before the exhibition was created, extensive research was carried out on commercial practices and shops in Reykjavík during the 19th century. In developing the exhibition, photographs, written sources, and objects held by the museum related to commercial activity were used.

The general store Edinborg in Hafnarstræti around 1920: Photo: Magnús Ólafsson (1862-1937). 

At Lækjargata 4, the Reykjavík Commercial Workers’ Association was founded in 1891, and Iceland’s first wholesale company, O. Johnson & Kaaber, in 1906. 

At Lækjargata 4, the Reykjavík Commercial Workers’ Association was founded in 1891, and Iceland’s first wholesale company, O. Johnson & Kaaber, in 1906. The museum’s general store was therefore moved into that building in the year 2000.

The most popular items sold in the general store are sweets, especially barley sugar, which is sold in handmade paper cones. Rock candy on a string is also popular. Most of the sweets for sale are repackaged by the museum staff in cellophane and tied with ribbons. Various tin goods, such as toys and buckets, are also available. In addition, postcards and handmade knitted items are offered for sale.



The shop attendants in the general store are always dressed in costume, and care is taken to ensure that modern devices are not visible. The general store at the Árbær Open Air Museum is very popular among museum visitors, who often mention the unique atmosphere of stepping into the shop and hearing the bell on the cash register when it is opened. Other museums in Iceland, such as the Norwegian House in Stykkishólmur, have looked to the Árbær Museum’s Krambúð as a model when setting up their own museum shops.

Lækjargata 4 house at Árbær Open Air Museum.

5. Lækjargata 4 House

About the house

The General Store

Current exhibition

Consumption – Reykjavík in the 20th century

Past exhibitions

Celebrating the New Republic 1944

100 Years of Nursing

5. Læk­jar­gata 4 House

About the house

The Gen­eral Store

Cur­rent ex­hib­i­tion

Con­sump­tion – Reyk­javík in the 20th cen­tury

Past ex­hib­i­tions

Cel­eb­rat­ing the New Re­pub­lic 1944